Book I: The Lunar Virus
by Megaman-NT-Warrior
Summary: He had always been different from his siblings; the odd one out. It started with a strange illness and then the whole story came out. They were never suppose to find out like this.
1. Fifteen Years Ago

Title: The Lunar Virus

Rating: T

Summary: He had always been different from his siblings; the odd one out. It started with a strange illness and then the story came out. They were never suppose to find out like this.

Disclaimer: Sonic Underground is the property of SEGA Sonic Team but Simon is mine.

* * *

Fifteen Years Ago

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" The green and yellow hedgehog asked as he fell onto the mattress beside his lover. "Aleena, darling. I love you, so much, but we shouldn't be doing this." He ran his fingers through the queen's long, soft, purple headquills. She snuggled close to him.

"But I don't love Aron, I love you." She framed his face with her hands. "Simon... If it wasn't for this arranged marriage..." Aleena sighed and gently kissed him. "I love you."

They moved as one and held each other long into the night. One night, sealed with a kiss, could affect so many lives.

A month later Aleena's husband Aron was killed in a battle against Robotnik's forces. It was also when Aleena found out she was pregnant.

--

Although Aleena assured Simon that the children were Aron's and they couldn't be persecuted for their affair, when he first saw the babies he wasn't so sure. Aleena was lying on her white king-sized bed, her triplets playing beside her. The oldest, a little boy named Sonic, had bright blue quills, his mother's features, and Aron's striking green eyes. The middle child, a pink quilled girl named Sonia, had Aron's features and Aleena's blue eyes. _They_ were obviously Aron's children. It was the youngest child, Manic, that Simon wondered about. Although he had his mother's eyes, and many of her features, the boy had emerald green, very spiky quills, not unlike Simon's own.

"Simon! Good morning. Come sit with us." Aleena invited, beckoning to him and he sat down lightly on the edge of the bed. He hugged her gently and she relaxed into his embrace. "I've missed you; it's been so long since you've some to see me."

"I thought it might be better for everyone, with what happened to Aron..."

"The children need a man in their lives." Aleena let her sentence trail; it would be something to speak about later. "Oh, how silly of me, come meet them. This is Sonic, Sonia and... Where's Manic?" Aleena bolted upright and Sonic let out a small whimper, reacting to his mother's distress. Simon watched as the small child's triangle ears flicked once, twice, and in a streak of blue he was across the room and pouncing on his little brother, who was making a bid for freedom out of the door that Simon had left open.

Simon chuckled at the sight of the youngest child trying to squirm away from his older brother and towards the door. "Oh, Manic... He always does that if you leave the door open." Aleena said as Simon crossed the room and gently picked up the two boys. Manic pouted but didn't try to get away, settling for giving Simon a teary eyed look from behind his quills. Sonic, however, the moment he was confined tried to dash away. "Sonic and Sonia inherited their father's speed. My advisors think that Manic might have inherited my abilities. When he gets older we'll go see the Oracle to check."

"How wonderful." Simon tried to gently set the two children back down on the bed. Sonic hopped down quickly, but Manic clung tightly to Simon's tunic with his four tiny paws. Simon smiled at the child's small defiance. "Maybe they need some time outside to play."

"I know they do but I'm worried about them wandering off, especially Manic, and with Robotnik around, I don't know what will happen." Aleena gently ran her hand through her youngest son's wild green quills.

They spent the next hour together, waiting for Manic to fall asleep so he would let go of Simon's shirt. Simon almost melted when the small boy yawned and relaxed, claws retracting from the material in their grasp. He slid down into Simon's lap and curled up into a ball. The older male gently set him in his crib beside his brother and sister. "I should probably be going."

--

"Ah, Simon Beaumont." The Oracle of Delphius said serenely, without turning around, as the young hedgehog stood in the entranceway of his cave.

"Y-yes sir." Simon stammered nervously, shaking snow from his hood. "I was... I was just... I was just coming to... I was just wondering if..."

"If the crown prince is your child." The Oracle said gently, the venerable reptilian man finally turning around to face Simon. "Come sit down, I was just making a pot of tea."

Simon was nervous. The Oracle was one of the most powerful beings on Mobius and an unimportant middle class hedgehog had just dropped in unannounced. At least he hadn't been kicked out yet. His first sip of the fragrant herbal tea calmed him considerably. "Now you wanted to know about the royal family."

"Yes, sir. It's that Aleena and I were... _intimate _around the right time for when the triplets were born and Manic-"

"Looks more like you than Aleena or Aron. Has a colouring that matches neither parent. Has not inherited any obvious magical talents." The Oracle supplied and Simon nodded slowly. "Yes he's your son, born early because of his brother and sister."

"That's why he's so small." Simon said softly, gently touching the tiny claw marks in his tunic. "Thank you, thank you so much. I have to go tell her." Simon leapt up and, after a hurried bow to the Oracle, bolted from the cave and into the snow.

"Simon wait! She won't be there when you arrive at the palace. The Prophecy..." The Oracle shouted after him, but the wind was too strong and the hedgehog had been swallowed by the blizzard.

--

Robotnik had struck while Simon was gone. The young hedgehog stood on the hill overlooking Mobotropolis and didn't recognize it. Robots were destroying everything. There wasn't a tree in sight and most of the palace towers were in ruins. He had to get to the bottom of this.

Simon ran through the boulevard and up to the palace. Robotnik was sitting, wedged in to, on Aleena's lovely purple quartz inlaid throne. The sight alone was enough to make Simon seriously ill.

"**INTRUDER.**" Said one of the guards in its low electronic voice. The guards moved to apprehend the hedgehog but the doctor waved them off.

"No, no, leave him. He's probably just another noble come to swear his allegiance. Correct?" Robotnik slurred drunkenly, it was then that Simon noticed the pewter tankard hanging from the tyrant's hand. "And get me another drink and one for him as well." Before Simon knew what was happening, a tankard was pressed into his hands and he was forced to toast to Robotnik.

"Um... Sir, I was wondering, if it's not too bold to ask, what happened to the royal family?" Simon asked, now would be the best time to ask while the doctor was drunk; he was much more likely to get an answer.

"Oh, don't worry about them anymore. They heard I was coming and ran off. I've sent assassins after them anyways, just in case." Simon's stomach felt like lead and he gripped the front of his shirt tightly.

'My baby...'


	2. Five Years Ago

Title: The Lunar Virus

Rating: T

Summary: He had always been different from his siblings; the odd one out. It started with a strange illness and then the story came out. They were never suppose to find out like this.

Disclaimer: Sonic Underground is the property of SEGA Sonic Team but Simon is mine.

* * *

Five Years Ago

Simon took every opportunity to search Mobotropolis for Manic but with ten years and no luck he was beginning to lose hope. Mobius had turned almost overnight from a peaceful dream world paradise to a robotic metal nightmare. Simon had been pulled into the world of Robotnik's aristocrats, for his own protection. He would have willingly joined the Freedom Fighters, if Manic was alive they would know, but he was no fighter and going into his forties he would only be a burden. So he pretended to be loyal to the round dictator, while using his authority to search the city.

In one day, all his luck changed. And it started with his wallet. It took him only a minute to realise it was gone and take off down the alleyway the thief had disappeared into. It was a dead end street with an open sewer grate, and as he looked into it Simon's heart nearly stopped. Climbing down into the sewer was a boy. A hedgehog boy with wild emerald green quills.

Simon was frozen for a few crucial moments before his brain kicked back in and he jumped down the manhole. The child was no where to be seen but it had been a dry season and all there was in the sewer was a think layer of muck that retained footprints.

"Manic, where were you?! I turned around and you weren't there."

"But look what I found!"

"I don't care! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"I'm sorry, Ferrell. I didn't mean to worry you."

"I know. You're a good kid and a good student, but you have to learn to listen and not to wander off on your own." Simon peaked into the curtained off area that was camouflaged into the wall where the voices were coming from. It hid a small alcove that had been gouged out of the wall and converted into a living area. The man addressed as Ferrell, who Simon now recognized as the leader of the Robotopolis thieves guild, was smoothing back his ward's green quills. Now that Simon was this close there could be no doubt who the boy was.

Manic had grown considerably but was still small and slight for his age. He had allowed his quills to grow as they may and they stuck up at random angles. His blue eyes still held the mischievous defiance Simon had seen all those years ago. He was wearing a red vest that was much too big and had two gold earrings in his left ear.

Simon felt tears run down his face as he watched the scene. It was easy to see that Ferrell cared for him and was glad Manic had found a good protector, even if he was on the top ten most wanted list. Simon wanted so badly to just run up and hug him, explain everything, and tell him that he loved him. But he knew that would end in disaster. The ten year old had obviously bonded with Ferrell and to take him away from that bond would not gain his trust. Even more so, Simon was now a noble in direct view of Robotnik. He wasn't going to put his _son_ in that much danger.

--

Simon lived for the next three months panicking every time Robotnik would mention Ferrell or the thieves' guild, and watching Manic from a distance. The boy was brilliant, talented not only in thieving but in mechanics too. Simon had seen him disarm and shut off a SWATbot in under a minute. He also had inherited Aleena's gift of music, Simon often found him in the hideout lost in the rhythm he was creating on a pair of old broken pots.

"Be careful going out today." Simon whirled around to find Bartleby Montclair, the fourteen year old son of the nobles that owned the complex Simon lived in, sitting on Simon's chesterfield with his sketchbook open on his lap. Bartleby loved art, especially drawing, but his parents rarely had time for his hobby. Or him at all for that matter, so for the past ten years Simon had been thought of as a twenty-four hour free babysitting service. Simon didn't mind the transition to surrogate mother and father; even though Bartleby could be a terrible snob at times he was polite, well educated, and empathetic. "It's flu season and there's a bug going around."

"Good morning. I though we weren't meeting until after lunch."

"Mum cancelled again. But I swear I won't be a bother and if you're going bring company around you won't know I'm here..."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm going out for a little while, but you're welcome to stay and help yourself to the fridge. We can do something later, there's a new art gallery opening today." Simon swiped a paw through the boy's long blond fur as he passed him on the way to the door.

It was a cold and blustery day; the wind lifted his braided quills and pulled at his tunic. Simon pulled the hood of his cape up over his head and clasped it at his throat. He walked quickly through the city streets; head down with a purposeful stride.

He hadn't been to visit for a week. The first thing he noticed was that the water level was much higher then before, reaching over his ankles now and freezing cold. He also noticed the strange way Ferrell's coat seemed to hang off his shoulders; he had lost weight and that meant they hadn't been eating. Even with all the hardships, in three months they had always eaten well; something was wrong. It was then he heard Manic. The child was hidden behind Ferrell making keening whimpers that broke Simon's heart. It was the same feeling he'd had a few years ago when Bartleby had come down with pneumonia and had been in bed for weeks. With the cold going around and the freezing temperatures at night with no heating... A dry sad sob escaped Simon before he could help it and Ferrell whirled around, grabbing an energy gun in one smooth motion.

"Who are you?" Ferrell demanded as Simon shrunk against the wall, holding his hands up in surrender.

"My name's Simon Beaumont and I'm... I'm Manic's father..." Simon said quietly, flinching as something clicked on the gun but relaxed when it was the built-in flashlight; Ferrell trying to get a better look at him. Simon pushed back his hood and the thief gasped in surprise. The light caught his fur and 

quills; the rare emerald green colouring, that was so prized, that Manic had inherited. The child cried out again, a sound reaching so high only Simon's sensitive ears could hear it all.

"Get the kettle off the stove, the water should be warm enough now." Ferrell was suddenly back into protective parent mode and , with a speed Simon would not have expected from a man of his girth, was kneeling beside the cot the young ill boar was resting in. Simon removed the kettle from the small two burner gas stove, being fed by a propane tank stamped with Robotnik's insignia Simon noticed, and brought it over.

"Will he be alright?" Simon asked, gently sitting on the top of the bed to prop Manic up on his father's legs to help ease his harsh breathing.

"He usually gets sick around this time of year." Ferrell said quietly, gently wiping Manic's face and quills clean of sweat and tears and carefully laying the damp cloth on his brow. "It's never been this bad before..." Simon ran his fingers through his baby's soft green quills.

"No... Get it off... it's... cold..." Manic mumbled, raising a hand half-heartedly to his head, weakly trying to remove the cloth.

"Shhh, shh, it'll help you get better." Simon said automatically, gently pressing the child's arm back down onto the bed.

"W... who?" Manic slurred, blurry blue eyes opening halfway to try and see Simon.

"Just a friend Manic. Go back to sleep. You need to rest." Manic nodded slightly at his guardian's words and closed his eyes. Simon made to rise, help Ferrell with the tea he was making, but completely independent of any thought or his condition, Manic seized his hand in a strong grip that Simon couldn't bear to break. Just like when he was a baby.


	3. Mobodoon

Title: The Lunar Virus

Rating: T

Summary: He had always been different from his siblings; the odd one out. It started with a strange illness and then the story came out. They were never suppose to find out like this.

Disclaimer: Sonic Underground is the property of SEGA Sonic Team but Simon is mine.

* * *

Mobodoon

"Manic honey, are you alright?" Mayor Whinnyham asked, gently shaking his shoulder.

"What?" Manic blinked his bright sapphire eyes as he looked up at her. What _had_ he been doing? She had shown him the room he, Sonic, and Sonia had been born in. He had been staring at his crib trying to imagine how he had ever been small enough to sleep in it. That was when his legs had given out. Though he had no idea where the chair he now sat in had come from, he was grateful. He couldn't remember living here, just like he couldn't remember their mother. It had always been him and Ferrell surviving on the streets. And faintly, just faintly, he remembered someone else, someone who looked like him. But the memory was so clouded and Ferrell never spoke of him so Manic couldn't be sure if he hadn't just dreamed the encounter.

"You've been staring into space for the last five minutes." The mayor carefully helped him to his feet and back outside into the sunlit street. "Maybe you just need something warm to eat." She pressed a steaming cup of vegetable soup into his hands as they walked down the busy market street. The soup was soft and sweet like the potatoes Ferrell would take from the fall harvest. Sweet potatoes he had called them and they made lovely fries. Now matter how little food they had it _always_ tasted good, which Manic knew he was lucky for. He had also grown up on a vegetarian diet; meat, Ferrell had told him, was most expensive and would be more easily missed. Manic has been sick for a week after only one bite of Sonic's chilli-dog, though Sonia had blamed it on the fact that the chilli-dog is inedible rather on Manic's inability to digest pork.

Mobodoon was the only place Manic could actually call a home. Sonic, raised partially by a nuclear foster family and partially by their blood uncle, always had a home, and Sonia, with all her doting servants and guardians, had too much of one; while he, though he had a wonderful loving guardian, never really had a place he could call home. He had a place that barley counted as a shelter. A hollowed out section of a sewer pipe that froze in the winter and flooded in the spring. And now he was being told he was born a _prince_ of Mobius in this sunny paradise.

The china cup smashed against the wall where he threw it, broth dripping down the perfect white bricks of the perfect building in this perfect city. Mayor Whinnyham stared in shock at the trembling hedgehoglet as he glared at the china shards, as if they had personally wronged him. 'I don't belong here.' Manic bolted, from the city that represented everything he hated and resented about his siblings, his mother, and his upbringing.

Grass, leaves, and twigs shredded noiselessly under his razor claws. In his blind rage he barely remembered entering the forest or removing his gloves. They lay in a innocent white heap a few feet away from where he finally collapsed, exhausted in a pile of debris. It was where Sonic and Sonia found him later, asleep with dried tears clinging to the peach fur of his muzzle.

"Oh, Manic." Sonia gasped softly as Sonic gently pulled their little brother into his arms. He lay the unconscious hedgehoglet onto the middle bunk of their van and moved outside to where Sonia and Mayor Whinnyham were talking.

"I don't know what happened. I don't think it was something that I said." The horse was saying softly, the broken china cup cradled in her hands. "I mean, he wasn't feeling well, that was obvious, but he didn't seem this angry.

"Sonic, I'm worried. We've never seen him act this way before."

"Yeah, in the what? Two months we've known him? Maybe this is normal."

"Random, unprovoked fits of anger that lead to half the landscape being sliced up?" Sonia asked sceptically. "For a wolverine maybe!"

"Hey that's not fair; we hired a wolverine for help on the farm and he had a very gentle disposition." Sonic said quickly before quailing under Sonia's 'that's not the point and you know it' glare. "Look it's probably just stress. We are wanted fugitives and have the fate of all of Mobius on our shoulders. Let's just see how this plays out."

"You want to wait? That's not like you Sonic."

"I know, but I think it's our best option for now. Unless you want to go wake him up and ask him why he freaked out which will probably make him withdraw from us. If we wait, he'll come to us with whatever is bothering him. Sonia, would you please just listen to me; it's the first time I have ever thought something through fully in my life." The pink sow stared at her brother in shock. "I need you to wait."

"You're just as worried as I am." Sonia whispered and she ran into her brother's arms, crying. "I feel so bad; we should have grown up together. He hates me."

"Manic does not hate you." Sonic said, awkwardly embracing his sister. "None of us chose where we grew up, I know that, you know that, and Manic knows it. We should go, before the portal closes. Thank you for having us, Mayor Whinnyham."

"You're always welcome here." The mayor said, gently smoothing back the prince's sapphire quills. "Take care of yourselves."

--

"Sonic, you should get some sleep." Sonia called back from her place behind the steering wheel to where the blue hedgehog was leaning over the side of his top bunk to watch their brother. "You wanted to wait, and now you're being impatient. Predictable much?"

"It's not that. It's been two days and he hasn't woken up once."

"He's tired."

"Tired enough to sleep for two days?"

"I guess. Like you said, how would we go about waking him up? He's out." Sonia asked softly, barely over a whisper, tone betraying how worried she was. Sonic had scarcely slept since they had left Mobodoon, instead watching the steady rise and fall of his brother's chest, monitoring his breathing, making sure he was still alive.


	4. Manic's First Symptoms

Manic's First Symptoms

It was another three days before Manic woke, crying in pain. He had spiked a fever the night before and it was the ice cold water they used to try and lower his temperature that woke him. Even then, with the fever, it was a state of delirious semi-consciousness.

"But Mommy, don't leave me again. I want to go with you this time."

"Manic, honey, I'm not your Mom I'm your sister. It's Sonia remember?" The pink sow pleaded. "I'm your sister."

"Mommy..." Sonia cried then; not just because her _baby_ brother was so suddenly ill he was delirious but the heartbroken almost betrayed tone the pleas were said in.

"We have to get help, Sonic. We can't handle this on our own." She said to the blue boar as he came within earshot carrying a fresh pitcher of cold water. "Professional help."

"Who would admit us?" Sonic asked bitterly, laying a new cloth on Manic's forehead. "Anyone who has the proper training is either robotised or under constant supervision from Robotnik."

"We need someone! Isn't there a healer in Sanctuary?"

"Sanctuary is miles from here."

"Cyrus, then, or the Oracle."

"Too far Sonia, who knows what would happen on the way."

"Bartleby!" Sonia exclaimed. Sonic gave her a deadpanned glare. "Don't give me that, he's perfect. Only a little way from here and he studied at a medical university for three years."

"Bartleby got into university?"

"Sonic, be serious for once! He's smarter than you think, and he's the only one we can go to." The blue boar growled and shook his head, standing to get fresh water. He was stopped, however, by his brother's hand on his wrist.

"Mommy please..."

Sonic stared at the hedgehoglet in astonishment and sat gently on the side of the bed. "No Manic, we're not going anywhere. All three of us..." He gave Sonia a heavy look. "We're going to see someone who can help."

--

The van pulled up to Sonia's fiancée's large fancy manor and Sonia leaned over her older brother to press the intercom button. "Hey, is anybody home?"

"Oh, Sonia darling, it's so nice to hear from you."

"Bartleby sweetie, we need your help. Manic's dreadfully ill and you're the closest person who we can go to with any medical training."

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that he thinks I'm his mother! Now would you just let us in you pompous ass?"

"Sonic!"

"What? 'Be nice' was not part of the agreement. My little brother is dying!"

"Yes, but if you're not a bit nicer to Bartleby, we're never going to get any help. He's my little brother too in case you've forgotten!"

"You know, if you're done bickering you can come in." The noble said over the intercom as his ornate gold gates slid open to admit their van. He ushered them into a made up guest room. "I'll get started on some herbs." Sonic stayed with Manic, not trusting his distressed brother alone, while Sonia followed her fiancée around his apartment.

"What do you think is wrong with him?"

"I don't know, he's only been here a couple minutes. Though he hasn't stolen anything yet which is very unusual and a little frightening." He was looking through a plain wooden cupboard that was so unadorned that Sonia couldn't believe it had been allowed in the house. "I think the important thing is to bring that fever down."

"We tried that." She said, as he pulled handfuls of herb leaves into a mortar to grind them together.

"Would you put a kettle on the stove?"

"You're going to use hot water? Won't that make things worse?"

"For one thing, the best way to get rid of a fever is to sweat it out, and secondly I'm making a medicinal tea for him and I need hot water to boil the herbs." Sonia stared at him curiously; she had never seen him so serious before. For as long as she had known him Bartleby had been a spacey artistic type of person. She had originally laughed at his idea to go to medical school, and this new sudden seriousness scared her, for Manic's sake.

"Is he going to be alright?"

Bartleby looked up at her with clouded sky blue eyes. "Sonia, it's best not to ask questions I can't answer."

"Hey, I'm home. They had those purple carrots you like at the market today so I got you some and your mother would like me to tell you that she's had to cancel your dinner tonight, again." A boar with green grey-flecked quills and greying yellow fur came bustling into the kitchen then, holding a paper grocery bag in one paw and taking his coat off with the other, yet to notice the pink hedgehog sitting stiffly beside Bartleby.

"S-Simon! What are you doing here? I thought you were doing that welfare meeting thing today."

"Postponed, indefinitely, if the pompous windbag has anything to say about it. And I already told you I..." The hedgehog looked up and the bag fell from a limp paw. Bartleby started making a series of unintelligible noises, to try and explain why one of the leaders of the Freedom Fighters was sitting in his kitchen. "Oh, Sonia, you look so much like your father." She stared at him in astonishment as he came to kneel in front of her.

"You knew my father?"

"Of course. I can't have my best friend get married and not at least meet the groom." Simon laughed in a friendly, matter-of-fact way, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Best friends with the queen. You never told me that. So does that make you their godfather or something?" Bartleby asked, coming to sit beside them.

"Their?"

"Okay, he's back to sleep, still thinks I'm Ma but he's asleep. How's that cure coming Bartle-but?" Simon whirled around as Sonic walked into the room.

"Oh, and Sonic too." The words were barely whispered, coming out in a tearful sigh. "You're the spitting image of your mother." Sonia started to cry then, running into Simon and hugging him tightly, Sonic followed a moment later. Simon looked up to find his surrogate child staring at them thoughtfully. "Penny for your thoughts."

"It's just...oh!" The hare jumped from his seat and bolted to his herb cupboard to add a few more herbs into his mixture. They watched him work for a couple of minutes, expecting him to finish the statement.

"Just what?"

"Bartleby, we've discussed this; not finishing trails of thought is okay in art and in poetry but not in conversations."

"You didn't marry the queen. Why?" asked Bartleby.

"They were just friends?"

"Because she loved our dad?"

"Because I'm a carrier." Bartleby stood with his a bright knowing smirk on his face, pointing his pestle at Simon.

"Exactly, and so is Queen Aleena. (Carrier of WHAT!?) You love her; I can see it when you talk about her. But you couldn't be wed because the heir to the throne can't inherit it. I think that you are Manic's father and that's what's wrong with him."


	5. The Moon Sickness

The Moon Sickness

"Manic? My baby? He's here?" Simon broke the silence that followed Bartleby's statement. The hare nodded and gestured towards the guest room, the older hedgehog bolted, followed by Sonic, leaving Sonia with her fiancée.

"I was right on the first guess, how cool is that?"

"That's nice Bartleby. I'm very happy for you but if you don't tell me what's wrong with my baby brother I will throttle you." Sonia hissed pulling him down to her level by the ruffle on his expensive silk shirt.

"Okay, okay, calm down. It's called the Lunar Virus, moon sickness, it's a genetic condition, have you heard of it?"

"No, I'm not a medical dictionary. That's your job." Sonia said; letting go of his shirt. "And if it's a virus how can it be genetic?"

"That's just what the professors who don't have and idea what it is decided to call it; it used to be that they believed you could get it from being exposed to too much moonlight. It fluctuates your immune system based on the cycles of the moon. It's getting close to the new moon, that's why he's so ill; he had no immune system to fight the flu that's been going around." He dumped the herbs into a pot of boiling water and missed Sonia's terrified look.

"He's this sick because the _flu_ is going around? What if he gets something more serious?"

"I told you already, calm down." Bartleby said as he spooned a greenish-yellow liquid into a tea cup. "It's actually really easy to manage once it's diagnosed. Here, give him this; if he's still delirious he probably won't take anything from me."

"You think this will make him better?"

"Yes, as long as he takes it twice a day between the waning crescent and the waxing crescent of the moon. I'll give you the recipe; all the herbs are easy to come by."

"What happens...? What happens to him on the night of the new moon?" Sonia asked quietly; trying not to inhale the scent coming off of the cup, the mixture was making her stomach turn.

"Let's put it this way... You don't want to see what happens when he doesn't take that." Bartleby looked up at the younger hedgehog and took a deep breath; he recognized her need to know more than his brief allusion. "Everything becomes a danger. It's very easy to be cut, bruised, have internal bleeding, broken bones; basically anything and everything that can go wrong, will go wrong." It was then that Simon walked back into the room; pressing a damp cloth to the side of his muzzle. "Are you alright?"

"He scratched me." Simon said dryly; removing the cloth to show them four deep cuts running from the corner of his right eye to the opposite side of his jaw. Bartleby winced in empathy and was up to help him clean it. "We're all seen as threats right now."

"Is Sonic going to be alright by himself?" Sonia asked glancing worriedly at the half open bedroom door.

"That shouldn't be a problem, he obviously hasn't gotten any better on his own so it's reasonable to believe that Manic still thinks of Sonic as his mother and won't hurt him. Though how that conclusion came up in the first place I'll never know." Bartleby said and he dabbed a poultice on Simon's face to speed up healing and prevent scarring.

"He does look like her." Simon added; flinching as the hare pressed on his scrapes.

"If you'd stop moving it wouldn't hurt so much. Sonia, I've got this, would you go give that to your brother, please." Sonia nodded and quickly walked into the bedroom to find Sonic sitting against the headboard with Manic curled up in his lap.

"How is he?" Sonia asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No worse, but not really any better either." Sonic was rubbing slow comforting circles on his brother's back and looked up when his sister walked in. "Please say that whatever that is it can help him."

"It should." Sonia handed the cup to her older brother; if Manic saw even Simon as a threat than he was unlikely to take anything from her either. Sonic carefully offered his brother the medicine but even under gentle and soothing prodding he could only swallow a few sips.

"But Mommy, it tastes so bad; do I really have to drink it?"

"Yes, it's going to make you feel better."

"But I feel fine, really." Manic protested as he curled tightly into the safety of Sonic's arms. The blue boar looked up at his sister with a pleading and helpless look.

"Alright, what did I miss?" Bartleby and Simon came back into the room; the older hedgehog had a temporary bandage taped to the side of his face.

"Just Manic not being able to take whatever you made him." Sonic said sullenly as he handed the cup back to Bartleby. "It's not getting any better. He still thinks I'm our mother. Is there something stronger you can give him? Bartleby shook his head in frustration and was surprised when Simon took the container from his paws.

"He thinks you're Aleena, right?" Sonic nodded slowly and Simon thrust the cup back at him. "If it was going to help him get better; Aleena would make him drink it." They stared at each other for only a moment before a harsh, coughing whimper jolted Sonic into action. He curled around his baby 

brother, holding his shoulders in a firm grip to prevent him from turning away, and offered the cup again.

"Come on, honey, it's going to make you feel better. Trust me." Manic looked forlornly up into his brother's big green eyes and whined in a manner that nearly made Sonic cry; but the younger took it anyway after a gently reassuring squeeze. "Shh... There you go; that wasn't so bad was it?" Manic buried his head deeper into the crook of his older brother's arm as he began to cough; a deep hard barking sound. Sonia hopped onto the bed to curl up with her brothers. Simon looked on; longing to do more for his son and Bartleby bustled around to get a fire going to keep the room warm. Manic tired himself out in less than ten minutes; falling fast asleep his breathing still shallow and wheezing but at least steady and even.

"I'll watch him," Bartleby said softly as Sonic pulled a thin sheet over Manic's shoulders. "You three probably want to talk.


	6. Simon's Tale

Title: The Lunar Virus

Rating: T

Summary: He had always been different from his siblings; the odd one out. It started with a strange illness and then the story came out. They were never suppose to find out like this.

Disclaimer: Sonic Underground is the property of SEGA Sonic Team but Simon is mine.

* * *

Simon's Tale

The elder boar fixed them a pot of chilled lavender tea and the three hedgehogs settled comfortably into Bartleby's sitting room. Sonia, who was quite versed in the art of small talk, began. "So, what made you return to the city after Robotnik took over?"

"Well, when I made it back to the city Aleena had already left with the three of you. The doctor assumed I was an aristocrat who had lost his estate in the raid. The Montclairs took me in; gave me a place to stay. "

"Yeah, what's up with you and Bartle-butt?" Sonic asked bluntly, earning a swift kick from Sonia.

"How's your relationship with you foster father, Sonic?" Simon asked with a practiced patience.

"Okay, I guess... Closer than my foster Mom but that's expected right?" The younger boar said slowly; raising a sapphire eyebrow at the seemingly off topic question.

"That's how I am with Bartleby. His parents didn't really have much time for him so he would spend a lot of his time with me. We're close." Simon said plainly. "Shouldn't we be talking about your brother not your future brother-in-law?" Simon noticed a small shiver ran through Sonic at the mention of the hare with _that_ title.

"Right. Bartleby," here Simon chuckled lightly at her fiancée's repeated mention. "What? Bartleby says that Manic has a genetic disorder and that's what is making him so sick."

"Wait, genetic? So we could have it too? What happens then?" Sonic bolted up in his seat; Simon and Sonia both gave him a deadpanned glare.

"You really are Aron's son, aren't you?"

"Didn't you listen to a word Bartleby has said this entire time?"Now it was Sonic's turn to give his sister a look and she quickly corrected herself. "Don't answer that."

"The lunar virus tends to run in the royal family; so to avoid the heir, you Sonic, inheriting it the ruler's mate is chosen for them. Someone who isn't a carrier." A long pause followed the statement before Sonic almost nervously cleared his throat.

"You mean-" Sonic tried taking a meditative breath. "You mean I don't get to pick who I get married to?"

"Not unless you wish to abstain from the throne; make Sonia Queen. And for the record, you usually don't get to choose who you fall in love with; it tends to just happen that way."

"So, our father... Aron? He was the king because of an arranged marriage to Ma but they didn't like each other?" Sonic concluded slowly.

"It wasn't that they didn't like each other; they liked each other quite a bit and got along very well. It was that they didn't _love_ each other. They were friends."

"So we're not even really related?" The three hedgehogs twisted around to find Manic standing in the bedroom doorway, looking in perfectly good health, beside a rather smug looking Bartleby.

"Manic! Are you feeling quite alright to be up so soon?" Sonia asked worriedly; falling quickly back into her mother hen mode but Manic ignored her and spoke only to Simon.

"So basically what you're telling us is that I'm so sick because my mother is a cheating whore?"

"Manic Hedgehog!" Sonia exclaimed as the two males stared at the youngest in shock. "Don't you dare talk about her like that!"

"Oh, of course you would defend her Sonia." Manic scoffed in mock surprise, laced with sarcasm. "After all, you're following so well in her footsteps." The venom in his voice shocked even Sonia and no one recovered in time to stop him from storming from the room. The pink hedgehog visibly cringed and turned to Bartleby.

"Bartleby, sweetie, if you would just let me explain about that." The hare held up a paw to stave off her words.

"I'll go see... see if he's alright." Bartleby was fighting back tears as he quickly left in the same direction Manic had. It led to the back garden and he found Manic angrily skipping stones into the pond. "You know; if you relax your arm a bit the stones go farther." Manic glanced over his shoulder at the hare; hardly seeming surprised to see him there, and returned to taking his frustration out on the pond. Bartleby curled up under the branches of the weeping willow and dipped his feet in the water. The silence stretched on; Bartleby was comfortable to let it, watching the stones skip across the water and add to the growing pile on the far bank. Manic eventually wandered over to lie in the grass beside the hare.

"I totally didn't mean for you to find out like that." Bartleby glanced down at the small hedgehoglet lying beside him; and was suddenly amazed by the child's empathy. The boy had been torn from the only dad he had ever known; his real father had shown up and revealed to him that the siblings he had bonded with were not completely related to him. And now his largest concern was how upset he had made Bartleby.

"I'm glad some one told me." The hare said softly, watching the ripples his feet were making in the water.

"Won't the water ruin your silk boots?" Bartleby shrugged the question off; raising one foot from the pond to check the water stains.

"It doesn't matter; I'm probably getting grass stains all over my pants as well." There was a pause before the noble said heavily. "They're new. I bought them to take Sonia to the theatre tomorrow... but it seems that's no longer happening.

"You'll get over it." Manic said quietly. "We'll both be alright." Bartleby smiled and looked back over at his companion and, caught up in the moment and his own emotional turmoil, leaned down and gently pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss; his eyes fluttering closed. It was a few moments before he realized what he was doing and jumped back into sitting position.

"I-I'm sorry..." The hare stammered, quickly looking away over the water and curling his legs underneath himself. Manic barely reacted at all; elegantly arching an eyebrow and giving him a cool, calculating look. "We s-should probably be getting back. They'll be getting worried by now."

--

"Bartleby, sweetie, there you are. Could we just talk? Just for a minute? Please?" Bartleby walked past Sonia without a glance in her direction and began to clear the tea set from the table. Manic stood in the doorway watching in amusement his sister's failed attempts at gaining her ex-fiancée's attention. His amusement didn't escape any in the room; Bartleby shot him a grateful smile over the tea pot, Simon a disapproving frown, Sonia a harsh glare, and Sonic hid a smirk in his tea cup; partly to avoid Sonia's wrath and partly to seem interested in the classy drink he had yet to have any of. "Bartleby, please, speak to me."

"I really have nothing more to say to you." The hare finally snapped slamming the tray onto the table; the resounding crash made everyone in the room jump. "I don't wish to speak with you right now Sonia. I need time to collect my thoughts." With that he snatched the lat tea cup from Sonic's paws and placed it on the tray with the other containers, a few of which had broken when the tray had been jarred. He walked out leaving a shocked Sonia in his wake. Simon stood and, and after checking his son was stable for the moment, followed his other child into the kitchen. Bartley was sitting at the table drinking aged rice mead from a tall champagne flute; the fancy glass decanter of the drink sitting on the table in front of him.

"I thought you said you were quitting."

"Go away, I want to be alone." He finished his glass and went to refill it; but changed his mind and began to drink it from the bottle. "I need to be alone."

"Not with that; you can't drink the entire bottle." The boar said sternly as he took the bottle from the hare's paws. Glazed and dilated blue eyes met Simon's concerned brown ones. "You're not having anymore. Come on you're going to bed; to sleep this off."

"I'm not drunk!" Simon seized his protesting charge by the shoulder, he was much too big to carry to bed like Simon had done when he was a child, and marched him up the stairs and made sure he got into his bed. The hedgehog sighed as Bartleby stumbled on his way into his room and quietly shut the door.

--

The clock had struck twelve when Manic snuck into Bartleby's room. The hare was curled up on top of the covers, awake, and nursing a headache. "I'm sorry." The noble bolted upright when the young hedgehog spoke.

"For what?"

"You're upset and it's all my fault." Manic handed him a glass of cold water from the pitcher Simon had brought in as he lent against the side table.

"It's not your fault." A light flickered in the hallway and Manic turned to leave, not wanted it to be Sonia and have her find him in here, but Bartleby caught his wrist. "Stay, please..." After a moments consideration he shook Bartleby off and hopped up onto the large bed. He hadn't planned on sleeping tonight anyways.


	7. I Want to be Your Canary

Title: The Lunar Virus

Rating: T

Summary: He had always been different from his siblings; the odd one out. It started with a strange illness and then the story came out. They were never suppose to find out like this.

Disclaimer: Sonic Underground is the property of SEGA Sonic Team, Final Fantasy IX is property of Squaresoft, but Simon is mine.

'I Want to Be Your Canary'

Morning found Bartleby crouched over his toilet; nausea tearing through him. "Are you alright?" Manic called from where he was lying in the bed. The hare poked his head out of his bathroom and stared quizzically at the hedgehoglet.

"What are you doing in here?"

"You asked me to stay, last night. You don't remember?" He was flipping through a pamphlet on his lap and eating from a tray beside him.

"I don't remember much after I broke the teapot..." Bartleby said as he dropped back onto the bed. "What are you eating?"

"Breakfast." Manic said simply, gesturing to the pile of sugared strawberry waffles on his tray. "Your stuffy penguin butler brought it in. Yours is over there on the side table." The hare looked over at the table and grimaced.

"I don't think I'm quite ready for food yet."

"I want to be your canary."

"What?" Bartleby whipped around, fast enough to make his head spin, to stare quizzically at Manic.

"It's your pamphlet things. I think that's what it says; Sonia's been trying to teach me this alphabet but I'm not too good with it yet. I'm hoping you know what the title means." He held up the folded paper he had been holding so Bartleby could see it.

"Oh, that. That's my theatre program, "I Want to Be Your Canary' is a romantic play. Not a shapeshifting seminar." He added quickly causing Manic to laugh. "I was going to take Sonia but... Would you like to go?"

"You want to take me? To the fancy romantic play? Are you still drunk?"

"Not as, like, a date or anything... It could be a learning experience in high class society." Manic gave him a warning look; he was treading in dangerous territory now. "I mean, won't you be expected to attend things like this when you're the prince of Mobius?"

"You are, of course, assuming that we will ever overthrow Robotnik and actually _take _the throne to rule at all; but I guess I thought I'd just be the delegate of the people..." Manic said slowly, looking down at his plate. "Sonia is better at stuffy aristocratic stuff like that."

"So when you're visiting another country you have to explain to your hosts that you can't go to whatever because you never learned how to behave in upper class society and can't sit still for two hours pretending to enjoy yourself?" Bartleby asked bluntly, giving him a firm look.

"Okay, now I know you're still drunk. Look at me; I'm not a prince and I never will be, I don't speak right, and I was raised in a sewer. I can't function in your world; why would a foreign lord have any dealings with me? Sonic will be king and Sonia's a noble; the _people_ will come to me, not the aristocrats."

"If you're quite finished," Bartleby started in a tone that clearly dared Manic to disagree. "You're royalty by blood, if not by upbringing, and you need to at least act the part even if you don't feel it."

"I guess I am good at acting."

"Good, it's settled then. I'll lend you some of my old clothes; they should fit and make you less recognisable. I think Robotnik might be attending."

"Oh yeah, that's an incentive."

--

Two hours later they were comfortably settled into the velvet covered seats of Bartleby's private box. Manic was wearing a gold tunic and boot under a navy blue hooded cape. Bartleby had brushed back his wild quills and pinned them with a gold and emerald pin. The whole effect made him feel fake; like he was pretending to be grander than he felt.

"Stop fiddling with it, you look fine." The hare laughed quietly and removed Manic's paw from where it had been playing with the clip.

"It's all just so strange." Manic said softly as he crossed over to the railing that overlooked the stage. "When does the play start?"

"Soon, we have to order dinner first."

"We get dinner?"

"Of course. Sonia tells me that you don't eat meat." Manic hoped up on the banister and have his companion a thoughtful look. Before he could say anything they were interrupted by a servant girl, a young shiba with cream coloured fur, standing at the entrance of the box. "Oh, lovely timing, we were just speaking of dinner. We'll have two of the vegetarian plates and perhaps a bottle of tonight's house wine."

"Yes, sir." The girl said quietly as she dipped into a quick curtsey and hurried off.

"Planning on getting _me_ drunk tonight?" Manic asked cheekily.

"The thought did cross my mind." Bartleby gave him and elegant aristocratic looks and smiled charmingly. "You'll like it; the wine here is the best. The food too."

"I never liked rich food much, I could never get used to it." The hedgehog glanced down at the stage. "Look, its starting!" A man dressed in kingly robes had walked onto the stage and was waiting patiently for the crowd to quiet.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight performance is a story that takes place long, long ago. Out heroine, Princess Cornelia, is torn from her lover, Marcus. She attempts to flee the castle, only to be captured by her father, King Leo. When our story begins, Marcus, having heard of this crosses swords with the king. And now, my Lord Robotnik, noble ladies and lords, and our rooftop views, Tantalus proudly presents 'I Want to Be Your Canary'!"

"Tantalus?" Manic turned to Bartleby with an excited whisper. "I know them! Ferell and I stayed with them when I was younger."

"See, I said that you would enjoy yourself. At the second intermission the audience is allowed to go meet the actors; you should go down and say hi." Bartleby joined him at the railing ledge to get a better view.

_Out of the way blank!_

_Consider this, Zidane! If the Prince was to marry Princess Cornelia peace would reign over both their kingdoms._

_That's foolishness! If everything was so easy, why, none would suffer in this world._

The two men on stage began a rehearsed sword fight, much to the enjoyment of the audience members closest to them. Manic laughed in delight to see his old friends again as they ran off the stage and the play continued. "Come and sit, you'll see just as well." Manic gave the hare a sly smirk from over his shoulder and slinked over to sit in Bartleby's lap. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting, just like you told me." The noble curled around his companion, unresisting to the position and laying his head on Manic's.

"Would you... would you stay with me again... again tonight?" He asked softly, words partially muffled by Manic's quills.

"What? Want to get back on your cheating fiancée by sleeping with her baby brother?" Manic asked lightly; smiling up at him, only half joking.

"No, that wasn't what I was thinking. I just don't want to be alone." Bartleby said; his voice barely audible. His arms tightened reflexively around Manic's skinny frame. "You don't have to if-" He was cut off my Manic kissing him.

"It's fine, clam down. I'd be happy to." Manic said softly smiling at Bartleby's confused face. "Here, have a glass of wine." He reached behind them to pick up the bottle and one of the glasses that had just been brought up.

"You have to have a drink too." Bartleby chastised after he was done with his first glass and poured more into it, pushing it into Manic's paws. He laughed gently and held the cup to Manic's lips. The hedgehog and took the glass to taste the drink. Bartleby began to place soft kisses over Manic's throat and shoulders, prompting a smile from both of them.

"Exactly how much did you have to drink _before_ we came?"

"Enough..." The hare turned Manic around in his lap so they were facing each other and they cold kiss properly, deeply. "Thank you for coming with me tonight." Bartleby said breathlessly as they pulled away for air. Manic curled into his companion, resting his head on the hare's shoulder. "I know this doesn't mean anything... but... I'm glad you're here with me." They were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. The shiba who had taken their order walked in, balancing two trays. She was followed by Dr. Robotnik himself. Manic squeaked lightly and hid in the crook of Bartleby's neck and avoided looking directly at the tyrant. "Oh, Lord Robotnik, good to see you." Bartleby said nervously, his arms tightened around Manic's waist as the hedgehog slid into a less suggestive position.

"Fascinating play it's turning out to be, isn't it?" The man asked jovially as he sat down on Manic's chair and gave their food choice a displeased sneer. "Who's this?"

"My date... Michelle."

"Finally dropped that royal brat, good for you." The tyrant laughed as he pulled the stopper from a bottle he had brought with him and took a long drink from it. "Do you happen to know where she went?" Manic stiffened at the leading question, a slight warning to Bartleby to be careful.

"You know as well as I do that I haven't seen Sonia since she went underground with those ruffian brothers of hers." The hare brushed off the question in a very calm way that seemed to satisfy the tyrant. They chatted far a while about politics, the economy, and the kingdom. Robotnik brought up the triplets often but, to Manic's relief, Bartleby was very careful about his answers.

"Well, I should probably be getting back to my box." Robotnik said as he levered himself out of the chair. "It was pleasant talking with you Bartleby. As was meeting you, Miss..."

"Michelle." Manic said quietly, using a high fake voice. "It was wonderful meeting you too, sir." The man smiled and gently kissed the back of Manic's hand before departing. Once he was out of earshot Manic began to try heave and scrub his hand with the hem of Bartleby's cape.

"Oh, come one. It couldn't have been that bad."

"If I ever have to call him sir, or if he kisses me ever again, I will puke." Manic cursed, glaring at the hare as he began to chuckle. "And I'll do it all over you if you don't shut it."

"Eat something. You'll feel better." The noble said lightly as he dipped a small piece of bread into melted garlic butter and fed it to the young hedgehog.

"Mm... That tastes good, what is it?"

"Garlic bread. You do realize that you're sucking on my fingers right?"

"Sorry, habit. I've had lots of customers that like to play with their food."

"Customers?"

"Never mind." Manic laughed nervously as he leaned over to take another slice of bread. "I've never had bread this fresh before." Bartleby have him a concerned look and his arms curled around the younger boy. The hare pulled the tray closer to them with his foot. They ate in silence for a while, comfortably lying together watching the play unfold. Manic felt warm. Happy, and full; a rare feeling for him and it made him sleepy.

"Hey, come on. Wake up." The noble laughed lightly as the hedgehog jerked awake.

"How much did I miss?"

"Not much, just the second act."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Bartleby just shrugged and brushed Manic's bangs from his eyes.

"You wanted to go see your friends, remember?" Manic nodded, still slightly disoriented from his nap, and stood up.

"Yeah I was. I'll be back up in a few minutes, okay?"

--

He found his way down easily enough and crept up behind one of his friends to pounce on his shoulders. "Zidane!"

"Manic? I haven't seen you in ages." Zidane laughed as he pulled the happy hedgehoglet off his shoulders to have a good look at him. "Look at you! Living the high life now are we?"

"No, I'm here with a friend actually. He lent me the clothes."

"A _friend_ huh?" Zidane smirked at him as they walked deeper under the stage.

"Yes, he's just a friend." The older man just gave him a sceptical look. "If you must know, he's my half-sister's ex-fiancée and he didn't want to come by himself."

"Yeah, okay. Want to explain why you were necking with someone who _isn't_ your date?"

"Want to explain why you pay so much attention to every member of the audience?" Manic countered as the two of them sat on the raised elevator platform leading up to the stage. They talked about nothing in particular and they didn't notice how much time had passed until the elevator began to rise. Zidane quickly pulled Manic to his feet so he wouldn't get caught in the mechanism.

"I guess you're going to be in the show." The man laughed and pulled Manic's hood up over his ears. "There, no one will know it's you."

"But..." Manic stuttered as they came up surrounded by the other actors. The man playing King Leo gave them a questioning look to which Zidane just shrugged and mouthed 'improvise'. The man playing Marcus shook himself free of the guards and swept Manic into his arms. "Oh, Marcus."

"Cornelia, I missed you so."

"And I as well. I wish never to leave your side. Lead me from this place." Leo outwardly grimaced to put on a good show put gave Manic a thumbs up from behind Marcus' back.

"See, King Leo." Manic turned to listen to Zidane and saw over his shoulder that Bartleby had raced down to the stage side and was trying to hide his amusement. "You should give them your blessing."

"Never! Never leave his side you say? Foolish banter! I won't allow it! Cornelia will marry none other than this man-" Leo pointed to Bartleby and beckoned the noble onto the stage. "Prince Schneider! Is that not so?"

"Aye!" The hare agreed. "And this traitorous crew shall be put to death!"

"Cornelia... Trouble me no more. This wedding is for your own welfare. Be mindful of that."

"Not if I can help it." Marcus shouted, pushing Manic behind him. "Now is the moment of my vengeance. For my parents and for my love, Cornelia." He drew his sword and lunged at Leo. At Zidane's prompting Manic threw himself in front of Marcus, allowing the sword to pass in between his arm and side. It was a prop sword, made of good plastic or dull metal, so Manic was shocked to feel a searing pain lace across his side. He stumbled forward into Bartleby's arms, which immediately circled around him.

"Manic, you're... you're bleeding."


	8. My Brother My Sister

Title: The Lunar Virus

Rating: T

Summary: He had always been different from his siblings; the odd one out. It started with a strange illness and then the story came out. They were never suppose to find out like this.

Disclaimer: Sonic Underground is the property of SEGA Sonic Team, Final Fantasy IX is property of Squaresoft, but Simon is mine.

AN: Hey everybody, I'm sorry I haven't updated in ages life's been kinda crazy lately. This is officially the last chapter but I will be posting an epilogue in a little bit. The sequel to this is called _Book II: The Decendants of Shania_ and the first chapter is nearly complete. Enjoy.

* * *

My Brother, My Sister

Manic groaned and curled up into a ball in Bartleby's arms as the noble lifted the tunic off the bleeding area. The fabric itself was fine, not a tear on it, but it was bloodied from a large laceration underneath. "Someone get me something to bandage this, anything!" Zidane nodded immediately and pulled off his shirt, ripping it into long strips, while Leo addressed the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will ask you to please not panic. We have a minor medical emergency but it is nothing that we cannot handle. I'm sorry to tell you that tonight's performance will have to be cut short and it would be much appreciated if you would exit in a calm and orderly fashion. On the behalf of the Tantalus and our guest actors I thank you for attending and for your cooperation in this matter. Thank you." The nobles in the audience broke out in a soft murmur, though most did start to pack up their belongings to leave.

Bartleby was shaking as he tried to bandage up Manic's side. Marcus had rushed under the stage to grab the first aid kit but the gauze bandages did little to stop the flow of blood. "Shh, Manic it's alright. You just need to stay with us, okay. You're going to be fine but I need you to stay still so I can bind this up. Then I'm going to take you home and fix everything..." Bartleby said, trying to keep his voice steady and calming while trying to forget the warm blood covering his paws and pooling under his knees; trying to forget what it meant. The hare gasped as they were joined by another pair of paws and he looked up into Sonic's concerned green eyes. The blue boar was hardly any help, he was afraid for his brother and it made him jittery; shaking at such a high speed that it was impossible for him to hold anything. But a familiar face did seem to calm Manic.

Bartleby could have fainted with relief when he heard Sonia's motorbike roar up and felt his foster father firmly squeeze his shoulder. "Here, put this around him; he's going to freeze from shock." Simon produced a strong wool, fur lined blanket.

Then it clicked; Robotnik was still in the audience. The same thought seemed to have occurred to the other three hedgehogs as well, if the pale green hue to Sonic's muzzle was any indication. SWATBots had soon swarmed the stage but Zidane calmly drew twin daggers from his belt.

"Don't worry about them; we'll take care of things."

"You had better be giving me one of those, boy." Simon demanded, taking one short sword from the young man. "We'll hold them off."

"What? No! You can't leave me!" Simon pulled his tearful child into a fierce one armed hug and gently kissed him in the top of his head.

"You know I love you but right now we have to worry about Manic. Speed is your top priority and I'll only slow you down. We'll see each other again." The hare nodded reluctantly and gathered the distressed green hedgehog in his arms as Sonia led him towards her motorcycle. He looked back at the battle before quickly curling around Manic.

'I love you, Daddy.'

----

"How did you know we needed you?" Two hours later Manic was lying on Bartleby's bed, the open would in his side covered in a thick paste of the same herbs his medicine was made from. Bartleby was compulsively crushing new herbs as he lay beside the unconscious hedgehog.

"Well, I thought Sonic had given him his medicine, Sonic thought that he only had to take it once, he's not comfortable yet to take anything from Simon, and you would be too hung-over from last night to think of it." Bartleby looked down, ashamed, and become more engrossed in his work. "And you left your theatre program on your side table."

"That doesn't matter now!" Sonic cut in. "Is Manic going to be alright?"

"He lost a lot of blood but I think we got here in time." The older hedgehog crossed the room to sit on the bed beside his baby brother.

"We could all sleep in here tonight." Bartleby suggested. "Sleep in shifts to keep an eye on him. I can set up a cot for you Sonia."

"We could share." Sonia said lightly as he pulled a hidden handle on the wall to fold out a single bed.

"I don't think so." The hare said shortly as he went back to the bedside. "I'll take the first shift, you should get some rest."

"Bartleby sweetie, you can't still be mad at me."

"Okay, finding out that my fiancée is cheating on me from her little brother kind of gives me the right to stay upset. But as Sonic said that really isn't our priority right now." The hare stomped out into the kitchen to get fresh water.

"Whoa! Would you look at that?" Sonic exclaimed. "Look who finally decided to grow a backbone. It's about time!"

"Shut up, Sonic."

----

It was three in the morning when Manic woke up, panicked and sore. Sonic was awake and the older boar immediately pulled his brother into his arms to keep him still and prevent the now dry herb paste from cracking. "Shh... Calm down, you'll reopen your wound."

"Why do you care? It's not like we're really related." Manic turned away the best he could in Sonic's strong hold.

"You're my brother, Manic. It doesn't matter what any one says; half's more than enough for me. I love you and I care about what happens to you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." Sonic reassured him as they settled more comfortably into the bed. "So does Sonia. Heck, Bartle-butt fussing so much he's tearing his fur out and he's not even _partially_ related to us." Sonic paused to give Manic a sly look. "Well, he would have been if you hadn't broken them up."

"Sonia was the one who was cheating on him. He had a right to know." The green boar defended with a slight laugh to his voice before turning sombre again. "I'm sorry I've been such a jerk lately."

"You've forgiven; we know it's just because you're so sick right now. You need to get some more rest it'll help your side heal."

"Will you tell me what happened in the morning?" Manic asked through a yawn as he snuggled closer into his brother's fur to settle down for the rest of the night.

----

"Good morning, how are you feeling?" Manic woke to three pairs of concerned eyes staring down at him.

"Better." Manic slowly sat up in the bed. He lifted his pyjama top and gently flaked off the dry poultice. The skin underneath was whole and healed with no scarring. "Wow…"

"It should be alright now; though it might take a while for your fur to grow back." Bartleby laughed as the hedgehog gave the spot a disapproving glare and handed him a wooden cup. "Here, before something happens and we all forget again."

"Yes, let's not do that again thank you…" Manic made a face at the unpleasant taste of the herbal medicine. "Wait, what happened to…?" The four of them grew silent. "I didn't get to talk with him about anything."

"He'll be okay." Sonia said quickly, trying to lighten the atmosphere of the room.

"She's right. He could talk his way out of anything." Bartleby agreed, more to reassure himself than anyone else.

"Now who does that sound like?" Sonic joked as he threw an arm around his brother's shoulders.

"Yeah, and Zidane was there too." Manic added, as they all began to smile at the thought of their loved ones.

"I'll make us some breakfast." The hare disappeared into his kitchen.

"We have to decide our next move as well." Sonic said heavily.

"Couldn't we stay here for a little while longer?" Manic asked, staring quizzically up at his siblings.

"I'd like to ask well, we all need the rest, but Robotnik knows we're here now." Sonia answered softly. "But we should stay for a little bit… You are still in no condition to travel and the movement of the van would only make it worse." Sonia hopped onto the bed beside her brothers and the three of them cuddled up together, a family.

"Hey, can I have a hug too?"

----

"Does it ever go away?" Simon winced as bandages were wrapped tightly around his chest.

"Does what ever go away?"

"Worrying about them. Sitting back and just watching, not being able to talk to them. Not being able to help…" Arms encircled his waist and his companion rested her head on his shoulder.

"No, it never goes away."

"They're our children, Aleena…"

"I know and I miss them but if I rush in too quickly they could be killed." Aleena said sadly, clinging to her lover's paws.

"I hope they'll be alright..."

_Fin_


	9. Epilogue

Title: The Lunar Virus

Rating: T

Summary: He had always been different from his siblings; the odd one out. It started with a strange illness and then the story came out. They were never suppose to find out like this.

Disclaimer: Sonic Underground is the property of SEGA Sonic Team.

AN: Hey everyone, so sorry for the wait. I had ment to have this up ages ago but I wanted to have the first chapter of the sequel written before that, and that hasn't been going as smoothly as I had thought to would be... Also known as I've been very distracted by the new Harry Potter film... It will hopefully be up within the next month and it is called _Descendants of Shania_.

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Epilogue

The four of them spent the rest of that day in Bartleby's massive four poster bed; eating whatever Bartleby's butler brought for them. The hare didn't want to leave Manic alone and the newly bonded siblings wanted to spend every second of their rare moment where their little brother was calm and open to them. He was curled up in the crook of Bartleby's arm nibbling on one of the purple carrots Simon had brought from the market.

Sonia was still upset from her break up with her fiancée but pushed it to the side for now; seeing it merely as a temporary solution. She was more concerned right now with taking care of her brother.

Sonic was protective. He was still worried for his brother's health and although the noble had proven himself thus far to be trustworthy with his treatments, Sonic couldn't help but be suspicious of how close he and Manic seemed to be.

"I wonder what's going to happen to me next." Manic said softly, receiving looks of alarm.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked as Sonia pushed Manic's quills from his face.

"What I mean is we were separated at birth because of an obese psycho tyrant wants to kills us, I was raised in the sewers, my dad's been robotized, my father and best friend are missing- presumably dead- at the hand of said tyrant, and I've just been sliced open by a plastic sword because I didn't take a disgusting herbal concoction brewed up by someone I hardly know; no offence," Bartleby just shrugged and waved off the concerns. "I really can't understand how I can be any less lucky right now." He gave the three of them a depressed down trodden look that made both his siblings grab him in a hug.

"But we're together," Sonic said softly. "And as long as we stay together we'll be alright."

"Do you really think so?" Manic was at the point of sobbing now, crying into Bartleby's sleeve and Sonic's quills.

"Hey, come now. That's just the illness talking." The hare said, gently wiping the tears away. "Just get some sleep, you'll feel better in the morning."

"We can stay here if you need us." Sonia suggested and Manic nodded, snuggling deeper into the warmth offered by his new family. "Sweet dreams little brother."


End file.
